Top Secrets for Jacksonville’s Military

From watch towers and double gates to electric fences, and serious surveillance, the Yellow Water Weapons Storage area was real. From 1952 until the closing of the weapons area of the Yellow Water compound in October of 1993, this was a seriously hush-hush place out Normandy boulevard in Duval County, Florida.  

The area was so top secret that when weapons were moved along roads, those in cars would be asked to stop, get out of their autos and look the other way, wrote a blogger on a chat link. Yellow Water Storage facilities were decommissioned officially in 1993. Before that time, it was so top-secret that special clearance was necessary to travel on North side of Cecil Field base but no one would confirm or deny as to why.

As of today, the Sheriff’s Department has “No Trespassing” signs along the old entry points. There is a walking and biking trail that can be taken, which along the way, some of the old cement storage buildings can be seen but they have little or no signage to indicate their purposes although the word “warning” appears from time to time. While many barricades are broken in areas, the old fencing is a reminder that visitors not allowed back there-even as late as 2023.

According to many who have worked onsite, there were nuclear weapons for aircraft carriers, F-18 bombers and P-3 Orion submarine hunters. The military has never confirmed or denied that this is true though. The closest this has been confirmed is by the updates of the repurposing of the area going forward. The epa.gov site says, “The official mission of NAS Cecil Field was to provide services for the operation and maintenance of naval weapons, aircrafts and other units of the operating forces.”  

Back-in-the-day, Cecil Field was the largest land area for military acreage anywhere near Florida.  Within miles, three military bases were ready to have use of the weapons should they be needed: Mayport, Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Cecil Field; all in and around Jacksonville, Florida area.

Per the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Naval Air Station Cecil Field has been closed now since September 30 1999.  The Naval Air Station has been repurposed and called Cecil Field Commerce but the weapons area across the street has been left abandoned although there has been some activity indicating of late as reports that new things are coming.

Twenty-four-seven motion detectors, double door metal enclosures and grass and trees growing atop igloo-shaped cement bunkers once disguised the whereabouts even now covered building from drones, planes or even balloon surveillance.  

In years past, the compound had available, a firing range which is now under water and overgrown by trees, small bridges connecting one side of small tributaries to others, a huge swimming pool, larger than an Olympic sized pool and exercise equipment for those in the military to stay in shape. It also had its own fencing, water treatment plants, cisterns and large water tanks for fresh water.

The compound began in 1952 and had an official end day of October 1, 1993.  It was abandoned by 1999 while Cecil Commerce Center began a new life of its own with businesses including air craft and continual use of flight towers. Military installations are still present on base as they continue to use some of the buildings such as Army Aviation Support Facility #1, and the Florida Army National Guard.

Alec P. Vaughan, Jr. who worked as a Civil Service Administrator in the 1970’s had occasion to go across to the weapons area with special clearance for that occasion only. He talked about riding a train while on the North side of Normandy Blvd.  Those who know the property,  say the tracks have been pulled up but indicate there once was a train system there at a back entrance way.

Over the years, urban explorers have gone into the facilities, trashing them, spray painting walls and floors and leaving messages indicating they have been there. Bats, rodents, and wild life of almost every kind have taken over the once heavily guarded secret compound dedicated to keeping the Nation safe and ready to defend should there be a need during the Cold War.

Online, there are a variety of “Abandoned” videos and stories about the now defunct storage areas. Before seeing any of these current discoveries, Jacksonvillians did not even know the Yellow Water Weapons Area was across the street from the Cecil Field Naval Air Base all of these years.

I purchased a set of “Leatherneck” magazines which in the 1983 edition mentions the Yellow Water surveillance, ammunition, bunkers and more so “Leatherneck” outed this unit back in the mid 1980’s.

Just like the Navy, I did not confirm or deny what the authors of this magazine wrote in that piece. I cannot confirm or deny what is written here even if I may have seen it with my own eyes.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Appreciation to all who assisted in this research and information, Leatherneck Magazine, Navy.mil, Googe, Call Box( Florida Times Union), AbandonedFl, epa.gov, personal experience.

 I can neither confirm or deny the existence of the places discussed in the article.